Points of Credit per Term
Barnard students must complete 122 points of academic credit to earn the B.A. degree. (Those who enter Barnard as transfer students must complete 121 points of academic credit.) Students therefore need to earn an average of 15 credits–which typically represents 4 to 5 academic courses (each of 3 or more credits)–per term.
All Barnard students are required to be enrolled full time. Full-time enrollment status is defined as a minimum of 12 credits per semester and a minimum of 24 credits over the course of the academic year. Except in very specific circumstances as described in the Reduced Courseload section below, Barnard students are not permitted to enroll part time.
In a typical semester, students may take a maximum of 19 credits. In certain cases, a student may register for up to 23 credits, subject to their advisor’s approval. Students with exceptional circumstances requiring them to enroll in more than 23 credits in a semester must submit a petition to the Committee on Programs and Academic Standing.
Students who live on campus will be required to maintain a minimum of 12 credits unless approved for a Reduced Course Load per the Reduced Course Load policy.
Students who do not complete a minimum of 12 credits for the fall or spring semester and 24 credits for the full academic year may be subject to Academic Review action for insufficient degree progress.
Enrollment Confirmation
Official enrollment confirmation requires both a student’s successful registration for at least 12 credits of coursework (unless otherwise permitted to enroll in fewer credits as per the Reduced Courseload policy below) and remittance of Term Bill payment (net of financial aid) by the semester registration/add deadline (end of the second week of classes). Proper remittance will also include students who are up to date on their Term Bill payment plan. Students who have not completed both of these processes by the semester registration/add deadline will be deregistered for courses and, therefore, considered not enrolled for the semester. Students will then automatically be placed on a personal leave of absence and should be aware of leave implications and procedures.
Reduced Course Load Policy
Graduating seniors who need fewer than twelve credits to complete their degree – and who have already completed at least four full-time semesters in academic residence – may be approved to take a minimum of nine credit hours. Because Barnard students are charged a flat rate of tuition per semester, reducing one’s course load to nine credits will not change the tuition owed in the last semester. International students must consult with International Student Services in advance to determine eligibility. Students who meet these criteria and are approved to be enrolled in nine credits are still eligible to live in Barnard’s residence halls.
If any student who is not an eligible senior needs to register for fewer than twelve credits for disability-related reasons, they should reach out to CARDS to discuss the reduced course load process at cards@barnard.edu.
Course Registration
All students are required to register for classes online by the specified deadlines for each semester as posted in the Academic Calendar. In order to receive credit and a final grade for a class, a student must be officially registered for it; class attendance and/or appearance on a course’s waitlist are not considered official registration. Students must obtain final approval of their course schedules from their advisor by the close of registration each semester.
Columbia University Courses
Many courses offered in other divisions of the University are open to qualified Barnard students, including most Columbia University undergraduate courses with course numbers of 4000 and below. Students can view any restrictions or special approvals required by looking at the course listing in the Columbia Directory of Classes. Barnard students register for most fall or spring Columbia University courses using Barnard’s registration system and they will appear on a student’s Barnard transcript.
Courses offered through Columbia University’s graduate and professional schools may require additional approvals, and limitations on the number of courses allowed may apply. Students should reference the cross-registration information on the relevant Columbia school’s webpage. Barnard students are generally not eligible to enroll in courses offered by Columbia’s Medical School (including Nursing), Law School, School of Social Work, or fall/spring courses offered by the School of Professional Studies. Teachers College courses require special permission from the Barnard Dean for Academic Planning & Class Advising, as well as the payment of additional tuition.
Adding Courses
Students may add courses online during the registration period, up to the maximum number of allowed credits. Adding credits beyond the allowable limit requires the approval of the student's advisor. Courses may not be added after the registration deadline for each term. Please refer to the Academic Calendar for up-to-date registration deadlines. Late registrations require approval by the Committee on Programs and Academic Standing and will be assessed additional fees.
Course Drops & Withdrawals
Courses may be dropped online before the deadline published in the Academic Calendar. The request must be approved by the student's advisor. Courses dropped by the deadline will not be recorded on the permanent transcript.
If withdrawal from a course is approved after the deadline to drop and by the deadline to withdraw, the course will be recorded on the permanent transcript with a grade of W (Withdrawal).
No adjustment of fees (including any laboratory or course fees) is made for any course dropped after the registration deadline.
A student may not drop below 12 points without the approval of the Center for Accessibility Resources and Disability Services or without approval per the Reduced Course Load policy.
Adjustment of Fees and Refunds for Changing Registration
Because Barnard students are charged a flat rate of tuition for full-time study, the adding or dropping of individual courses does not change the tuition owed for most students. There are a relatively small number of courses with course-specific fees that may change if courses are added or dropped. If a student changes their registration and the tuition called for is lower than the amount they have already paid, they will be credited the excess only if the change in their registration is made by the registration deadline (the second Friday of the full 14-week semester). If the student’s new registration calls for higher tuition, the student is responsible for paying the additional charges promptly.
Schedule of Classes and Room Assignments
Class times and room numbers are published in the online Directory of Classes, which is updated every night. Additional course materials are accessible through the CourseWorks page for the class. Any students with technical difficulties should contact the IMATS technology team at courseworks@barnard.edu.
Students needing wheelchair-accessible classrooms should register with the Center for Accessibility Resources & Disability Services (CARDS) as soon as possible prior to the beginning of the term to make them aware of this need.
Summer Courses
Barnard students can apply a maximum of 16 credits of summer coursework towards the degree, including both Barnard and non-Barnard courses. Students may register for a maximum of 2 courses totaling 8 credits in a single summer session, with a maximum of 16 credits per summer term (including both Barnard and non-Barnard courses).
Barnard offers a select group of classes in its summer session, both on and off-campus, which are open to Barnard and Columbia students, as well as qualified visiting students from other colleges and pre-baccalaureate students. The summer session is billed separately from students' fall and spring tuition. The courses and grades will appear as institutional credit on Barnard student transcripts and will be included in the Barnard GPA.
Credit for summer courses taken at other accredited institutions (including Columbia summer session) requires approval by a student’s adviser and/or department chair and the Registrar’s Office. If approved, these courses will be treated as transfer credit; the courses will display on the Barnard transcript but will not be counted towards the Barnard GPA calculation. Barnard’s standard policies around transfer credit apply, including the requirement that a student must earn a grade of C- or better in the course in order to transfer credit. Additional regulations also apply due to the uniqueness of summer sessions; for instance, the College’s standard policy is that summer courses must meet for at least 35 hours and at least 5 weeks to be eligible for Barnard credit. In general, Barnard does not grant credit for online courses. A supplemental fee is charged by Barnard to transfer summer credits from other institution(s), including Columbia. Further regulations around summer credit can be found on the Registrar’s Office webpage.
Concurrent Enrollment
Students may not be enrolled in courses at Barnard and at another higher education institution concurrently during the fall and spring terms. Exceptions are made for students accepted into Barnard’s existing dual enrollment programs, including the Jewish Theological Seminary double degree programs, the 4+1 Pathways programs, as well as students registering under Barnard’s existing cross-registration agreements (including the cross-registration agreement with programs within Columbia University). Barnard students may register at other accredited higher education institutions as visiting, non-degree-seeking students during the summer term, but must have the courses approved to ensure that the credits will transfer. Students on a leave of absence from Barnard may enroll at another institution for credit with approval from the Registrar’s Office, with a maximum of nine credits per semester. (Students on required leave of absence may be required to transfer more credit and should reference the terms of their required leave.)
Online Courses
Students may not earn transfer credit for online classes taken at other colleges or universities after matriculating at Barnard. This includes credit taken in approved study abroad or exchange programs; credit taken while on leave of absence from the College; and credit taken during summer or winter sessions.
Prior to Barnard credit for students entering as first-year students
First-year students with a record of prior coursework taken as non-matriculants at an accredited college in the United States may request up to 15 points of transfer credit (the courses must be intended primarily for college students and taught at the college by members of its faculty, and must be in excess of the courses required for the high school diploma). Such work will be evaluated after the student has completed 12 points at Barnard.
Attendance
Students are expected to attend classes regularly. Frequent or prolonged absences from classes may cause a student to forfeit the right to complete coursework or to take final examinations. Students who are experiencing academic challenges should be in touch with their class dean as soon as possible.
Policy on Religious Holidays
It is the policy of Barnard College to respect the religious beliefs of community members. In compliance with New York State law, students who are absent from school because of religious beliefs will be given an equivalent opportunity to register for classes or make up any examination, study, or work requirements that they may have missed. No student will be penalized for absence due to religious beliefs, and alternative means will be sought for satisfying the academic requirements involved. If a suitable arrangement cannot be worked out between the student and the instructor involved, the student should consult the appropriate class dean. If an additional appeal is needed, it may be taken to the Provost.
Those responsible for scheduling of academic activities, events, or essential services are expected to avoid conflict with religious holidays as much as possible.
Academic Residency Requirement
For the purposes of this policy, “in academic residence” refers to a student taking coursework at Barnard or Columbia (as opposed to another institution), including approved study abroad or exchange programs, during the fall or spring terms.
After matriculating at Barnard, students are expected to remain continuously enrolled with the exception of students on an approved leave of absence. Students who enter Barnard as incoming first-year students should plan to be enrolled full-time and in academic residence for eight semesters (in order to complete their degree requirements); however, a minimum of seven full-time fall/spring semesters in academic residence is required for these students. Transfer students are required to complete at least 60 academic credits at Barnard and a minimum of four full-time fall/spring semesters in academic residence. All students must be in academic residence for their final full-time semester.
Students who expect to meet the requirements of the degree before their eighth semester must submit a graduation application by the deadline for their desired degree conferral date. The College does not confer degrees for students who do not apply to graduate by the relevant deadline.
Students who do not meet the continuous enrollment expectation will be administratively withdrawn from the College after four consecutive fall/spring semesters of non-enrollment. This includes students who do not return from approved leave of absence after four consecutive fall/spring semesters away. Students with personal or medical circumstances requiring them to exceed four consecutive semesters of non-enrollment may petition for an exception to the faculty Committee on Programs and Academic Standing (CPAS).
Campus Housing Requirements
Students who enroll at Barnard as first-year students and need more than the expected eight
semesters to complete the degree may not be eligible for campus housing after completion of the eighth semester. Students with approved reduced course loads (including final semester seniors) may be registered for no fewer than nine credits in order to remain in campus housing.
Classification of Students
Students are classified as follows:
Matriculated
- First-Year (fewer than 24 points)
- Sophomore (24-51 points)
- (Note: A student who enters as a first-year remains a first-year for the full academic year, regardless of points earned)
- Junior (52-85 points and a declared major)
- Senior (86 or more points)
- Unclassified (transfer students who have not yet been assigned credit)
Non-matriculated
- Other college degree candidates (visiting students)
- Barnard alumnae auditing courses
- Barnard alumnae taking courses for credit
- Any other student who is not a degree candidate
Academic Standing & Degree Progress
A Barnard student is in good academic standing as long as they are making sufficient degree progress.
The academic standing of all students is reviewed at the end of each semester. A student whose term or cumulative GPA falls below 2.0, or who does not satisfactorily complete 12 or more credits in a term, or who receives 3 or more incompletes or withdrawal grades in a given term may be placed on academic probation. A student who does not successfully complete a minimum of 12 credits in a term may be given an insufficient degree progress warning. (Note: students who have not made satisfactory academic progress, or SAP (see below), at the end of an academic year may be placed on Financial Aid Warning or Financial Aid Probation in accordance with that office’s processes.) Students who have been approved for a reduced course load and earn a 2.0 GPA or higher in a term will remain in good standing.
A student whose term or cumulative GPA falls below 2.0 for two consecutive semesters, or who fails to complete 24 institutional credits at the end of every academic year at minimum, may be required to take a leave of absence.
Consequences of not being in Good Academic Standing
At the end of each semester, after student grades have been reviewed, a student who is found
not to be in good academic standing may face the following consequences:
a) Academic Probation
b) Required Leave of Absence
c) Insufficient Degree Progress Warning
FERPA and Parental/Legal Guardian Notification
Barnard will not notify parent(s) or legal guardian(s) of a change in a student’s academic standing status without written consent from the student, in compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Students may submit written consent in the form of a FERPA waiver to the Dean’s Office in order to inform their parent(s) or legal guardian(s). Information on this consent process is contained in the Academic Standing Letter students receive.
Appeals
Students may only appeal a required leave of absence. Appeal requests are considered by the faculty Committee on Programs and Academic Standing. Students wishing to appeal a required leave of absence may do so only in these cases:
a) The student would like the faculty Committee on Programs and Academic Standing to consider reducing the length of the required leave of absence or a particular requirement for that leave (for example, reducing required leave of absence from one year to one semester, or asking not to be required to take coursework elsewhere);
b) The student would like the Faculty Committee on Programs and Academic Standing to reconsider the decision or to modify a required leave of absence decision because the student has new information regarding their academic progress that they believe may be relevant to the decision-making process (e.g., a grade change or unfinished work having been turned in).
Appeals should be made in writing to the Committee on Programs and Academic Standing. Due to the short period between semesters, students who have been notified of their academic standing in January (after the fall semester) will have 48 hours after receiving the emailed letter from the Dean for Academic Planning & Class Advising to submit an appeal; students who have been notified in June (after the spring semester) will have seven (7) days from the date on the emailed notification from the Deans’ Office for Advising and Support to submit an appeal. This appeal should include not only the reasons for the appeal, but also the student's proposed academic plan for moving forward, an explanation of why a decision might need reconsideration, and plans for returning to good academic standing. Students may speak with their Class Dean for guidance before submitting the appeal. Appeals are written; no appeals are made in person.
Confirming Graduation Status
Students must officially notify the Registrar that they expect to have completed all requirements for the degree by submitting the online graduation application by the deadline for their intended degree date. Specific instructions and deadlines will be available through the Registrar. The College does not confer degrees for students who do not apply to graduate by the relevant deadline.
Degrees are granted in May, October, and February. Graduation ceremonies are held in May.